Cinema Shock

In this bonus episode, Mr. Todd A. Davis breaks down the cast of HEATHERS.

If you liked HEATHERS and are wondering what other similar movies you should watch, well you're in luck! In this bonus episode, Justin and Gary discuss a few of their picks for Further Viewing after HEATHERS!

Let us know YOUR picks for movies to pair with HEATHERS by hitting us up on social media! Find us at @cinema_shock on Instagram, X, and Threads!

What if John Hughes movies did murder?

In this Roulette episode, we dig into Michael Lehmann’s pitch-black 1989 teen satire, HEATHERS — a film that skewered high school cliques, weaponized sarcasm, and launched a thousand “Dear Diary” imitators. We’ll talk about how Daniel Waters’ script turned every studio exec pale, how Winona Ryder risked her rising career to play Veronica, and how a young Christian Slater channeled Jack Nicholson into a performance that’s somehow both magnetic and terrifying.

From the film’s rocky road to production to its legacy as a cult classic, this is the story behind the original teenage time bomb.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

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How do you describe a film like HOUSE?

Equal parts haunted house horror, surrealist art film, Looney Tunes cartoon, and experimental cinema, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s HOUSE (HAUSU) is one of the wildest, most unique cult movies ever made. But behind the madness is a fascinating story of how a commercial filmmaker and former ad man channeled the imagination of his 11-year-old daughter into one of the most visually inventive horror films of the 1970s.

In this episode of Cinema Shock Roulette, we take a deep dive into the making of HOUSE, exploring how Obayashi defied Japan’s studio system, weaponized pop culture surrealism, and accidentally created one of the most enduring Midnight Movies of all time.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

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This Halloween, we’re sinking our teeth into one of the most iconic horror films ever made: NOSFERATU (1922).

A few weeks ago, we had the honor of co-hosting the very first Cinema Shock live event — a special screening of F.W. Murnau’s silent horror classic, presented alongside our friends at GUTPUNCH. At the event, we scratched the surface of the film’s eerie legacy… but we knew that Nosferatu deserved a proper Cinema Shock deep dive.

So in this special episode, we’re tracing the full story behind the creation — and near destruction — of Murnau’s unauthorized Dracula adaptation. From legal battles with Bram Stoker’s widow, to the groundbreaking use of shadows and location shooting, to the lasting impact on vampire cinema, this is the tale of how NOSFERATU rose from the grave to become one of the most influential horror films of all time.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After wrapping up our look at John Waters’ early filmography, we’re back for one final spin around the block — this time with HAIRSPRAY (2007), the glossy, big-budget remake of Waters’ most mainstream hit.

Adapted from the Broadway musical (which was itself adapted from the 1988 original), this version of HAIRSPRAY featured an all-star cast, splashy production numbers, and a budget big enough to make Divine spin in her grave. And yet, the film was a box office smash and earned the blessing of the Pope of Trash himself — who even shows up for a cameo.

In this epilogue episode, we explore how HAIRSPRAY became a franchise, what this big-screen remake kept (and lost) from Waters’ original vision, and how the once-subversive Baltimore story found its way to the center of mainstream American pop culture.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

By the late 1980s, John Waters was ready for a change. After a decade of shocking audiences with boundary-pushing midnight movies, he set his sights on something a little more… family-friendly. The result was HAIRSPRAY — a pastel-soaked 1960s dance-party satire that retained Waters’ signature weirdness while appealing to a much broader audience.

In this episode, we dig into how Waters transitioned from underground cult provocateur to mainstream darling, how a then-unknown Ricki Lake became the face of the film, and how HAIRSPRAY overcame a modest box office performance to become one of the most enduring and beloved films in Waters’ entire filmography — inspiring a Broadway musical and a big-budget Hollywood remake nearly two decades later.

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With POLYESTER, John Waters cleaned up his act — well, sort of. This 1981 melodrama spoof marked a major turning point in Waters’ career: a bigger budget, a suburban setting, and his first taste of (semi-)mainstream success. It was also the first time he cast 1950s teen idol Tab Hunter, a move that shocked audiences and opened doors.

In this episode, we explore how POLYESTER emerged from Waters’ desire to move beyond pure shock and into broader satire. We’ll talk about his collaboration with New Line Cinema, his use of William Castle–style gimmickry with the infamous “Odorama” scratch-and-sniff cards, and why POLYESTER might be the most deceptively subversive film of his early career.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With DESPERATE LIVING, John Waters pushed his vision into wild new territory — a surreal, grotesque fairy tale set in the trash-strewn, totalitarian town of Mortville. Made without Divine for the first and only time in this era, the film instead centers on an unhinged cast of women revolting against a corrupt, fascist queen.

In this episode, we explore the chaos and controversy behind the making of DESPERATE LIVING, including the film’s challenging production, its reception in the underground film circuit, and how it further expanded Waters’ mythology of filth and transgression. This is John Waters at his most unrestrained — and unhinged.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After the underground success of PINK FLAMINGOS, John Waters and his Dreamlanders set out to make a film that was just as transgressive — but with a more structured narrative and bigger ambitions. The result was FEMALE TROUBLE, a grotesque satire of fame, beauty, and the American obsession with crime.

In this episode, we explore how FEMALE TROUBLE pushed the boundaries of taste even further, casting Divine as a teenage delinquent turned homicidal glamour icon. We dig into the production of the film, how it was received by fans and critics, and how it solidified Waters’ place as the Pope of Trash.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.